Musicians

Here are some of the people who bougt my instruments over the years. I am humbled to think of all those musicians playing, practising, recording and performing. Thank you for putting your trust in my instrument ! Meeting you and working with you has been a pleasure and it is an honour to be part of your amazing art

Galina Zinchenko, Seamus McGuire, Manus McGuire, Etienne Vatelot, George Green, Paul Brady, Clara Texier, Anne Caloustian, Lubica Hvastijona, Stephane Marcel, David Wallace, Niamh Kelly, Christchurch Baroque, Aoife O’Brien, Susan Hill, Sean Keane Chieftains, Sean Smyth Lunasa, Mircea Petcu, Ciaran Tourish, Ruth O’Leary, Guy Haskell, Olivier Darras, Guy Lefebvre, Elias Dann, Patricia Halberg, Dunskus, Alain Petit, Jean-Marie Illac, M. Gardin, Marcus, Jacques Coppey, Mme Thauvin, M.Rist, Muir, Sarah Lane, Ealain McMullin, Pierre-Henri Xuereb, Chiara Banchini, Mike d’Arcy, Liz Leonard, Antoinette Lohmann, Dongmyung Ahn, Annette Cleary, Andrew Manze, John Holloway, Nicole Tamestit, Anne-Marie Turion, Dominique Maniere, Banque de France, Fred Fehleisen, Veerle de Vos, Ann Monnington, Liz Dean, Bertrand de Billy, David Ley, Hilde Vertommen, Balthussen, Sievers, Deliege, Malcolm Sadler, Gruneberge, Klein, Thornton, Peter van Boxelaere, Ferdinandusse, Conservatoire de Boulogne-Billancourt, Kevin Burke, Rachel Du, Abbie McDonagh, Columna Ni Briain, Denise Doyle, Liz Cziby, Anna Keary, Niall O’Brien, Brona Fizgerald, Joni Kelly, Susanna Hill, Armin Mewes, Micheline Kinsella, Ailish Devine, Michelle Lawlor, Dara Daly, Dearbhla Nolan, Ciaran Tourish, Kathryn McKeggie-Aldous, Dorothea Nicholas, Delphine Blanc, Hanorah Farrell, Jane Hackett, Roelof Balk, Cora Lunny, Lucy Perkins, Ultan O’Brien, John Carty, Julie Leenane, Stan van der Heyst, John McEvilly, Eva Hurley, Royal Irish Academy of Music , Nederlands Muziek Instrumenten Fonds and many more

More musicians: I saw Stephane Grapelli several times in concert. One day when he came to town (Chartres) with his trio we all (the family) went backstage after the gig. He saw I had a violin case and asked to try my violin. It was a violin belonging to my old boss in London, Malcolm Sadler, one which I had entered into the Cremona Triennale 1982. I was in heaven as my idol sat on the couch swinging away on my violin and really enjoying it. He was a most charming and gentle character

When I grew up in Utrecht in the 60’s, playing the violin wasn’t exactly a ticket to popularity. Not that I cared much about that but it bothered me that people just didn’t get what a fantastic instrument the violin was and always will be! One day as I was in the record shop going through all these LP’s and Singles I could not afford and I came across a double LP “Fill your head with rock” and knew I was right all along. What a cover! The violin really rocks and swings as well as produces heavenly sounds dreamed up by ancient composers

The violin is also a popular instrument in people’s music around the planet. Wonderful diversity can be heard in many cultures and I have been very touched by my own musical odyssey of what is often called folk or traditional music. Living in Ireland brings you close to the roots of music. people just play it without making a big deal about it. Sometimes visiting classical musicians go to the pub to play with the trad crew. Interesting patterns appear and a new sort of sound is invented. One time Yehudi Menuhin visited Donegal in the far north of Ireland. Afterwards the local musicians often spoke about Hughie McMenamin, the world renowned fiddler